tell you; and as I knows all his ways, I've got to keep a sharp
look-out to see he don't come over me. Ah, Master Ralph, it's a hard
thing to say one's own flesh and blood aint the thing, but the truth's
the truth to be sure, and, though it does hurt in the telling, that's no
reason it shouldn't be told."

"Certainly not!"

"Well, as I say, Ichabod Bunce is as close and 'cute in his dealings as
any man in all Connecticut, and that's no little to say, I'm sartin.
He's got the trick, if anybody's got it, of knowing how to make your
pocket his, and squaring all things coming in by double multiplication.
If he puts a shilling down, it's sure to stick to another; and if he
picks one up, it never comes by itself--there's always sure to be two on
'em."

"A choice faculty for a tradesman."

"You've said it."

"Just the man for business, I take it."

"Jest so; you're right there, Master Colleton--there's no mistake about
that. Well, as I tell'd you now, though he's my own brother, I have to
keep a raal sharp look out over him in all our dealings. If he says two
and two makes four, I sets to calkilate, for when he says so, I'm sure
there's something wrong in the calkilation; and tho' to be sure I do
know, when the thing stands by itself, that two and two does make four;
yet, somehow, whenever he says it, I begin to think it not altogether so
sartain. Ah, he's a main hand for trade, and there's no knowing when
he'll come over you."

"But, Bunce, without making morals a party to this question, as you are
in copartnership with your brother, you should rather rejoice that he
possesses so happy a faculty; it certainly should not be a matter of
regret with you."

"Why, how--you wouldn't have me to be a mean-spirited fellow, who would
live all for money, and not care how it comes. I can't, sir--'tain't my
way, I assure you. I do feel that I wasn't born to live nowhere except
in the South; and so I thought when I wrote Ichabod Bunce my last
letter. I told him every man on his own hook, now--for, you see, I
couldn't stand his close-fisted contrivances no longer. He wanted me to
work round the ring like himself, but I was quite too up-and-down for
that, and so I squared off from him soon as I could. We never did agree
when we were together, you see--'cause naterally, being brothers and
partners, he couldn't shave me as he shaved other folks, and so, 'cause
he couldn't by nature and partnership come 'cute over me, he was always
g